Agro National Corporation (AgroNat) has stated it aims to begin contract farming with 2,000 farmers by the end of 2022.
Speaking at a programme aired on PSM News, Managing Director of AgroNat Haroon Rasheed said the corporation is working to achieve the government’s target of reducing the dependency on import, by increasing agricultural production in the Maldives. Haroon said increasing agricultural production is vital for the establishment of food security in the country, as well as for economic diversification. He noted the contract farming project launched by AgroNat is an essential part of the efforts to boost agriculture and food production in the Maldives.
Haroon revealed AgroNat has already signed contracts with 700 farmers across the country under the contract farming project. He noted the target is to begin contract farming with 2,000 farmers by the end of next year. He also expressed hope of signing with 1,000 farmers by the end of this year.
AgroNat was established by the government to market agricultural produce from local farms and provide a better income for farmers by providing technical and financial assistance to local farmers and helping them to market their produce. The company has established contracts with farmers to produce 17 different types of fruits and vegetables. Some of the items produced under contract farming include pumpkin, eggplant, melon, papaya, watermelon, butter nuts, tomato, cucumber, beans, capsicum, lettuce and cabbage.